After looking at the weather forecast it seemed we had a two day break in between unstable weather patterns. John and I decided to take advantage of blue skies and corn in the Snoqualmie pass area. We passed a few ideas back and forth. Both Kaleetan Peak and Granite Mountain kept coming up and in the end we decided to do both. We were inspired by a trip Monika and Dave Perkins did last year. They had started in the Alpental parking lot then do a long traverse ended on Granite mountain. Along the way the route hit Chair peak col, Kaleetan Peak and Granite Mountain. It was over 12 miles but it seemed it would be well worth the effort.

Starting the Alpental to Granite Ski Traverse

We arrived in the Alpental Ski resort parking lot happy to see that it was clear skies. It hadn’t snowed for a while so we were hoping to find corn conditions. Climbing up we could see debris of old avalanches but in general the snow seemed stable.

Cutting left we were making our way towards the head of the valley we were heading toward Pineapple Basin. While the snow was firm we were able to skin most of the way.

Before long we had wrapped around the Bryant Peak area and below the last steep pitch. We need to climb up to the col which seemed impossible to skin.

Before long we were at the base of the Bryant and Chair Peak Col and putting our boards on our packs. With our ice axes out we pushed our way up a step at a time. Fortunately the snow was great for kicking steps and a foot at a time we were making our way up.

The last few steps to the col were steep but we were rewarded in views. Below us was the Bryant Peak Couloir and off in the distance was Snoqualmie Mountain. Far off in the distance we could see Overcoat Peak and the Middle Fork of the Snoqualmie Valley.

Our First Descent Down the Alpental to Granite Traverse to Melakwa Lake

Looking in front of us we had a clean line down to Melakwa Lake. Dropping in we were happy to find that the sun had softened the snow to corn perfection. It was two hours into the trip and we were already getting some great turns.

Once on Melakwa Lake it was time to start heading for Kaleetan Peak. It seemed like a semi technical route and after looking for a while we decided to head near the pass. Hopefully the route would unfold in front of us as we got closer.

Once on Melakwa Pass we were at the base of Kaleetan Peak. It was obvious that we couldn’t head up the ridge but it seemed we could do a low traverse in the valley. From there it would take us to another low col where we could climb our line.

Off to the north we had a stunning view of the Glacier Peak area basking in the sun. We were now in the clouds but happy with our previous run. It was still early in the day and we still had a lot of ground to cover.

Climbing From Melakwa Pass to the Summit of Kaleetan Mountain

Wrapping around from Melakwa Pass we could see the route unfold in front of us. We were happy to see that there were no cornices blocking our progress as we started pushing up.

With Ice axes in hand we made our way up a step at a time. Fortunately the terrain was both straight foreword and not that steep. With every step we were getting closer to the summit of Kaleetan Peak.

Before long we had made it to the next col in our route. We were happy to have a little bit of semi flat snow and finally able to rest our legs. Behind us we could see Chair Peak and the our previous run in the distance.

The Last Pitch to the Summit Of Kaleetan Peak

Finally we were pushing up the final slopes to the summit of Kaleetan Peak. Kicking in the steps it was nice and soft. We could tell that it was both perfect for climbing and it would be great skiing from the top.

With the last steps to the top we could see our next run below us. In the distance we could see both Tuscohatchie Lake and the peaks of Granite Mountain. In the far distance we could see the base of Mount Rainier but the upper slopes were buried in clouds.

From the summit of Kaleetan we were looking down at the Middle Fork of the Snoqualmie River. off in the distance we noticed that Mount Hinman and was out in the sun almost teasing us to head that way.

Our Second Descent of the Alpental to Granite Traverse Down Kaleetan Peak

After taking in the views it was time to start riding. The first few turns off the summit of Kaleetan peak were steep but fortunately it had corned up and was edgeable.

After feeling comfortable with the snow it was time to drop in. We had a long run below us and we knew the lower we got the better the snow would be. We would just have to let gravity take over as I finally started opening up.

After a few turns the slopes opened up and we were passing the col we had climbed up to. It was still steep but exhilarating as the snow was quickly improving.

Working with the sidewalls we rode off the features heading into the unknown. The run was both fun and scenic making our way down a turn at a time.

Riding into the Pratt River Valley

Soon enough we were riding into the lower slopes and heading towards the trees. Off in the distance we could see our next ascent but the plan was to ride as far as possible.

The slope rolled over one more time as we finally made our way into towards the trees. We could tell it was a massive avalanche path and the cleared out space therefore made it obvious this wasn’t a powder run.

A few minutes down our descent route of Kaleetan Peak it started to turn into a gully. Soon we would be at the base of our run and at the source of the Pratt River.

Heading Up the Pratt River Valley to Granite Mountain

In the end we had rode about 3,000 feet to the shores of the Pratt River. Taking the opportunity we refilled our water bottles and scouted a spot to cross the creek. Before long we were on the other side and still had dry feet skinning through old growth timber.

It was a challenge as we didn’t have mountains to reference through the forests. Once we crossed another small creek we quickly realized its source was Tuscohatchie Lake. Heading up we were relived to find that we were on the right route. Stopping near the shores we took a break to rest in the sun and check the maps. We had one more big ascent before we would be back at the car.

The day was starting to get late and it was time to move as we skinned across Tuscohatchie Lake. Soon we would start climbing up Granite Peak and traverse over to our final descent.

Skinning up Granite Peak we had a clean view to Interstate 90 below. While we were exhausted we were happy with how smooth the route had gone. We were minutes away from our final descent as we knew it.

Arriving on our Last Summit of the Alpental to Granite Traverse

Finally we were looking at the Granite Mountain lookout tower which confirmed where we were. It had been a long day and all that was left was a final long descent.

Making our way across the summit we had a clear view of where we had come from. The only thing left was a quick transition and we would be riding down to the car.

From our vantage point we looked in all directions and saw great ski lines. Off to the east we could once again see Overcoat Peak and the massive glacially carved valley.

Looking back the way we came we could also see Kaleetan Peak and Bryant and Chair Peak Col. It was a different perspective of Kaleetan and above all we were happy with our choice to ride it into the valley. We knew it was aesthetic but looking at it from Granite Peak gave us a new a new respect for it.

Snowboarding Down Granite Mountain to the Car

We were exhausted from the long trip so we decided to rip down the southern face of granite non stop. The corn for the first 1’500 feet was perfect, stable, steep corn by far the best run off the day. After that it was 500 feet of Avy debris riding then bushwhacking through dense forest and finally we reached the trail and hiked out the last 500 vert. Fortunately while we were riding down Brad was hiking up the ridge and got a few shots of us.

It was a brutal tour going from Alpental to Granite Mountain but all in all it was a great trip. The route was super smooth and all 3 lines were super fun. The only real challenge was making our way up to Granite Peak but even that wasn’t bad. Thank you John for being a great partner and agreeing to do this long tour

Thank you for reading this trip out to from Alpental to Granite traverse. If you want to see more ski tours within the Snoqualmie Pass Backcountry check out this link.